Worth
by I'm Not Even A Writer
Summary: A one-shot featuring The Grimes Family 2.0.


Carl scoffed as he found himself in a school auditorium waiting to be reprimanded by the principal and his father two years after the world seemingly ended.

"I'm so fucking stupid," he whispered to himself for the 9th time in as many minutes. He sat rubbing his temples as he waited for the storm to barrel down on him when he heard the side auditorium door open.

Rick made a beeline to his son and exclaimed, "What in the _hell_ do you think you were doing?"

"Dad, I'm sorry! We were just…I…I know we shouldn't have…it was stupid, I know I…," Carl stuttered along as he tried to plead with his irate father.

"Do you have any idea what you just risked…," Rick began to retort before the door he just entered through opened again. This time King Ezekiel strode in with a stern expression with Carl's cohort, Tushar, in tow. It looked as if Tushar had already received the speech Rick was in the middle of giving to Carl. The teen looked as though he were trying to recover some of his pride by keeping his back straight and shoulders squared. Any maturity and pride he had left vanished as he plopped down in the seat next to Carl a bit off center, causing him to rather fall sideways in to it instead.

Ezekiel took his seat on his "thrown" on the lit stage above as Rick turned to face him. He was still trying to adjust to Ezekiel's rather eccentric nature but was just happy that the tiger didn't have to be present for this incident.

"So," Ezekiel began, "I have the story from Tushar's end. Trying to swipe a bottle of liquor from our sealed cache for a fun night out, huh? Care to add anything else to your case, young man?"

Carl stared between Ezekiel and his dad a few times before he decided to answer. He sat straighter in his chair, attempting to man up to his mistakes, "I'm really sorry. We were just being stupid. It was just a dumb dare and…"

"People have been killed for the same and less. In this world as well as Before," Ezekiel said, cutting Carl off. Rick piped up then, "Ezekiel, look. I know how bad this was but I don't think things need to come to that." Rick's posture became defensive and he shifted his stance between Ezekiel and Carl with his hand placed on his hip near his pistol.

Ezekiel began to dismissively wave his hand. "No, no Rick. I'm just trying to clearly make a point to these young men," Ezekiel said as he stood up from his seat. He made his way down the stairs closest to the men as he continued to speak, "Now, while I know that a bottle of, frankly speaking, not our best batch of moonshine is not worth the life nor left hands of a couple of troublemakers, I need for you two to know that I am likely the exception in a case like this. Theft in these scarce times is absolutely nothing to take lightly." Ezekiel stood tall and fierce in front of Carl and Tushar. A more relaxed Rick stood beside him with the same demeanor.

Rick knew Ezekiel was right and that's what scared him the most. Theft was already a good enough reason for many to hand down some capital punishment, especially in a world where many folks didn't even need _that_. He absolutely knew that Carl knew better than to do something so reckless and stupid.

"Was a bottle of booze really worth the risk?" he asked. The perpetrators shifted in their seats and looked to the ground.

"Oh, you don't know why already?" Ezekiel chuckled. "What are their names? Niecy and Evelyn?"

Rick's head dropped and he began to rub his brows in irritation. "Enid," he corrected Ezekiel. "Jesus, Carl." The boys shifted even more in their seats and looked at each other. With a sigh of submission, Tushar spoke, "I found out Niecy's birthday was in a few days and I thought it would be a good present so I asked Carl…"

"I just wanted all of us to have a good time and Niecy seems really cool and Enid has been through a lot lately so we just thought…," Carl shrugged to finish his statement.

Ezekiel let out an even bigger chuckle and, against his better judgement, Rick couldn't help but crack a smile himself. He wiped the grin from his face and addressed the Lotharios, "The reason does not excuse what you did. You think those girls would call watching the two of you getting a hand cut off 'a good time'? You tried to take what wasn't yours and you will be punished for it. "

The humor had left both Ezekiel and his father's aura at that point. Carl knew how serious this was. If he had attempted this on the Hilltop, or if some stranger had tried this in Alexandria, things would have ended with blood, he was sure of that. It just felt so important to do.

Ezekiel and Rick walked off towards the stage to discuss the matters at hand briefly.

"Hey, maybe if your dad knew the other reason…," Tushar leaned over and whispered to Carl.

"No!" Carl hushed him. "That would make this even worse."

The boys continued to argue back and forth in not so hushed tones but abruptly stopped when the older men sternly approached them. "Let's go," Ezekiel commanded with some severity. The boys looked at one another and gave sighs of acceptance and followed the men out of the auditorium to their impending punishment.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Rick zipped is coat up and burying his hands into his pockets as he walked through the increasingly cold autumn air. What a way to end off days of trade negotiations, he thought, shaking his head. Ezekiel saw him do so and smiled at him as he roughly patted his back. "Rick, it's alright. Boys will be boys, right?"

Rick scoffed of that sentiment. "That phrase was right sacrilegious in my house growing up. I don't think my mama would appreciate me teaching that to my boy." Rick reached for the door of the school as he and Ezekiel turned to look at the boys carry out their punishment. "You think that's a good punishment for what they did?"

"I hope so," Ezekiel answered. "It was the only thing I could think of to get done before you guys leave. It's a punishment they won't forget soon, that's for sure!" Ezekiel let out a howl and Rick laughed along with him. "Let's go finish our breakfast and get you guys on the road," Ezekiel suggested.

"As you say, your highness," Rick replied. He gave one last look towards his son and then entered the building.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"I'm so sorry, man," Tushar apologized for the umpteenth time. "I shouldn't have made you do it with me. I just thought it would be a good trade! I didn't even want the stupid thing. I should have just given it to you, man."

Carl adjust his hazmat suit and mask once again and replied, "If I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't have. It's my fault, too." They could barely hear each other through the masks and suits and decided to just get this punishment over with. He wished he'd known that the Kingdom was repairing one of their sewer pipes before he made his stupid decision that morning. Luckily, the repairs were at the tail end and it wouldn't take much longer to fix. He was even luckier that his group had to leave soon anyway.

"I'm sorry," Tushar sighed one last time to Carl as he dug his shovel into what had only a 50% chance of being dirt.

"Me, too. Very, very sorry."

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"Fina-fucking-ly," exclaimed Abraham from the driver's seat of the RV. They were finally pulling up to the gates of Alexandria. After nearly a week long trip to The Kingdom, home was a sight for sore eyes.

"Great," Carol said as she stretched from one if the RV sofas. "I want my own bed back."

Carl walked to the front from the back bedroom and peered out of the front window, "There's Maggie and the rest, too."

Rick sat up from the sofa opposite Carol and took a look out the window as well. Glenn, Maggie, Enid, and Denice were back from their own trade and negotiations trip at the Hilltop. Denice was getting some much appreciated training from the Hilltop's doctor and Maggie seemed to be the only one who could stand speaking to Gregory. They caught up with them on the road a half an hour or so ago but their car was lighter and faster than the RV. It looked as though they had been waiting for them on the other side of the gate. Rick scanned around a bit anxiously but didn't see the group's newly acquired white supply van. He slumped back in his seat with a deep sigh.

Once they group entered the gates of ASZ, Abraham hopped out of the driver's door of the RV and did some quick stretches while exclaiming, "Whoa, lemme tell you. After that ride, my joints and my jiggle bells need one hell of a soak." Everyone gave their now automatic head shake and smirk at Abraham's unique siloquy. Sasha looked down from her post on the tower as though she were questioning some of her recent romantic decisions. Abraham looked up and her, giving her a leg, and she visibly softened slightly.

"How'd it go?" Rick asked of Maggie and the rest. His attention was a bit divided as he continued to look around for the white van or maybe a new vehicle within the walls.

"Glenn punched Gregory," Denice cheerily announced. That pulled Rick's full attention back. Rick cocked an inquiring and impressed eye at Glenn. Everyone had a bet to see which of them would be the first to do it. Looks like Sasha would have a very nice Christmas gift coming from the rest of them. "Why?" he asked.

"Because Maggie couldn't get up fast enough to do it herself, " Denice offered again with a smile. Maggie and Glenn looked twice as tired as any of the rest of them. Glenn waved one hand dismissively while grabbing Maggie's with the other.

"Everything's fine and all settled. We need sleep. See you guys tomorrow." Glenn began towards his home with his slightly wobbling wife beside him.

"Enid," Maggie called out to the girl.

"I was just going to talk with Carl for a minute," she replied hopefully. Carl looked back at his father then with a guilty and pleading stare. Rick rolled his eyes and stared between the teenagers and Maggie and Glenn. They both gave noncommittal shrugs and began again back to their home.

"You got 30 minutes, you here? Ezekiel's square with you but I ain't."

Carl solemnly nodded his head and turned to Sasha and Tara, who were coming down from their posts. "Are the rest of them back, too?"

"Uh, no," Tara said. "A big rain came through and headed their direction, though. They shouldn't be too much longer, I hope."

Rick tried to hide his disappointment that Michonne and the others weren't back yet. She, Daryl, Heath, and a few more the Alexandrians were picking up a haul that Heath and Tara found scouting a couple of months ago. They found a small strip mall north of Alexandria and several of the group members were taking turns with clearing roads and buildings. Michonne and the others were basically just doing a pick-up and should have returned by now.

He just nodded in response to Tara and began to walk to Gabriel's to retrieve Judith. He couldn't wait to see her beaming face and to just relax for a while with her. Since they'd been getting ready for winter and traveling so much, he didn't see much of her besides breakfast and, occasionally, dinner. Rick watched as the rest of the group coupled off for the night and waved to Rosita and Morgan as they took up post. He couldn't help but glance back at the gate every few yards and listen out for a whistle from the other side.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Rick wished they could supplement any food shortage they may have in the upcoming winter with the toys people kept finding and bringing to Judith, he thought as he attempted to clean up. She'd actually calmed down from seeing him but when Carl walked in the front door, she exploded with excitement again. Rick sent Carl to his room, stating that he'd have more words for him in the morning. Carl sleepily nodded in agreement and dragged his tired limbs up the stairs. He still had a backpack with him that Rick saw Tushar give to him right before they left the Kingdom. He thought it was something for Enid as a part of the boys foolish trade and endeavor but apparently not. He was just too exhausted to grill him about it.

Rick then fed, played with, and read to Judith to try to get her to sleep. Every time it looked as though she were drifting off, something would catch her attention and the cycle would start all over again. She would inquire about "Ryl" and "Chonne" as she found various items of theirs around the house. "Me, too," was his only reply. It took about 2 hours, three readings of The Bernstein Bears, and a sippy cup of warm apple cider but she had finally fallen asleep next to her building blocks on the living room floor.

Rick put his youngest to bed and finished cleaning up the mess he and his daughter left around the house, finally plopping down on the sofa. It gave him a warm feeling of déjà vu as the motion would normally be followed by Michonne, and vice versa. They'd tangle with each other there and debated who should carry whom up the stairs to their bed. He closed his eyes and could see her warm smile in his mind's eye. He instinctively reached for her but felt nothing but the cool surface of the sofa cushion next to him. His heart sank a little into his stomach with the knowledge that he didn't know if his friends were even safe that night while he was warm in his own home.

Tara was right, though. The rain combined with the weight of their load would slow them down considerable. They might have just taken shelter somewhere if it was too much. Still, if they weren't back by tomorrow afternoon, he would take some people to go out and look for them. Rick tried to calm his nerves and think of something pleasant to get to sleep. Michonne kept coming back to mind. He could only see her bundled into a cold and wet corner, sword in hand, and on the lookout in some random rundown barn. He grabbed one of the large pillows next to him and tried to relax into sleep with better thoughts of her.

He thought he'd only blinked two or three times before he heard shuffling at the front door. He sat up and grabbed his gun from the coffee table in one swift motion while looking at his front door. A moment later, Daryl came stumbling in, caked with mud up to his waist. Rick sat his gun back down and went to gingerly embrace his friend.

"What happened to you guys?" he asked while looking at his watch. His two or three blinks were actually two to three hours of unrestful sleep. "Where's Michonne?" he also asked, looking through the open door behind him.

A rather irritated Daryl shucked off his muddy boots, kicking them back on to the porch, while answering, "Goddamn truck got stuck inna ditch of cold mud, is what happened. Took us fuckin' hours to get it out. Then we hightailed it home." Daryl peeled off his mud caked vest as he gestered behind him. "Michonne stopped by Denice to get patched up when we got here."

"What? What happened?" Rick wasn't waiting for an answer and headed for the door. As he stepped out onto his porch, Michonne walked up the path to their house. "We shoulda talked about what 'on three' means before we started pushin'. She's alright," Daryl offered from the other side of the doorway.

Even in the dark, he could see only a split on her left thumb. Other than that, her clear exhaustion, and the pound of mud she was fashioning, she seemed fine. She walked into the light of the porch as if she were forged from the darkness from which she came.

Michonne used the last of her momentum and strength to give Rick a genuine smile before falling into his needed and comforting arms. She looked over his shoulder and waved goodnight to Daryl before burying her face in Rick's neck. "Please put me to bed," she whispered.

"Anything," he replied, instinctively swaying with her from side to side and then ushering her into their home.

After helping her bathe and change, they lay in bed cradling one another in complete content. They entwined with each other all night, sharing small kisses and words of affection until their bodies and souls could finally rest in the arms of home.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Michonne awoke the next morning to a disappointingly empty bed. She attempted to stretch her still tight muscles and reached for Rick's pillow as a poor substitute for his absence. He must have gotten up with Judith at the crack of dawn as the toddler was the house's personal rooster. Michonne was about to drift back to sleep for a while longer when she heard a tentative knock at the door. "Come in," she croaked. Clearing her throat as Carl peaked his head in to the door.

"Hey," she cheerily said to him. He had a tray with him with oatmeal cakes, what smelled like hot chai, and some diced zucchini and squash from the garden. "Oh, wow. Thanks! You didn't have to do this. What's the occasion?"

Carl sat the tray on her now waiting lap but his face displayed concern at her last comment. "Did I get the date wrong?" he asked. "You said November 9th, right?" Realization dawned on Michonne then.

"It's already the 9th? Oh, then thank you so much, Carl. This was so sweet of you." She went in to hug him but was obstructed by a large and heavy rectangular wrapped item.

"Happy birthday," he said with a nervous smile. Michonne moved the tray from her lap and replaced it with her gift. She gingerly grazed over the surface of the t-shirt and ribbon wrapped item and felt a lump forming in her throat. "Open it," he insisted.

Michonne untied and unwrapped her gift and melted at the sight. It was a copy of a Lucian Freud Portraits book and it was in pretty great condition, all things considered.

"That's a good one, right?" Carl asked anxiously. Michonne hadn't looked up since she uncovered the book. "It's just that it was the only good looking art book at the Kingdom that I could find and I had to trade with a friend. I kinda got in to big trouble but if it's not good…"

Michonne cut him off by capturing him in a bear hug and rubbing his back, repeating "thank you" over and over again. He returned the hug as they sat in their new home with their new family, replacing the void despair left in each other's hearts. The holes of their respective losses would always be there but now they were surrounded, protected, by something as incredible as their love for one another. Michonne let go long enough to cradle the remarkable young man's face in her hands and kiss is forehead with all the love she had. They both laughed at their theatrics as they wiped the tears from each other's faces. They then heard a rough cough and then a much smaller one coming from the doorway.

They looked up to see Rick smiling at them and the little parrot in his arms. "I don't want to interrupt but someone has been asking for you." Rick walked to the bed at Michonne's insistence. Judith fell into Michonne's arms and immediately reached over to her tray for a second breakfast. Michonne laughed and grabbed an oatcake for the little muncher.

Rick looked at the book on Michonne's lap and then up to his son and asked, "Was it worth it?"

Carl nodded assuredly, "Yeah."

Rick took in the scene of his home and family and agreed, "Yeah."

Michonne gave them both quizzical looks, "Worth what? What happened?" as she let Judith down on the bed and clutched her gift.

The Grimes boys smiled at each other and settled in to give the story of Michonne's ill-gotten gains. They all continued the morning passing stories of their journeys with one another before heading off to complete their responsibilities and duties for the day. After Carl took Judith to daycare and Michonne dressed, Rick watched as she carefully found the perfect spot to place her gift among their shared belongings. Michonne, satisfied with the book's near ceremonious placement on top of the dresser, turned to grab her jacket and sword and leave when she walked right into a waiting Rick.

Rick kissed her as if she were the breath of life and he was on his last. Michonne complied completely and the lovers found themselves enthralled and lost within each other until they had to come up for air. The rested their foreheads together, attempting to catch their breaths.

"I love you so much," Michonne confessed.

Rick pulled her in even tighter and decided he would show her how much he loved her in return. The others could wait a while longer.


End file.
